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The Lord's story was not just for the self-righteous expert in "Torah." His parable is for all of today's Bible experts who aren't as "expert" as they think. It is sin to think that one can love the Lord with all thy heart, or love thy neighbor as oneself. The trespass of "self-righteousness" is to pride-fully confuse who does the "doing."

The man that fell afoul of brigands on the road to Jericho was just like the ones who ignored his plight. He spoke their language, shared in their culture, looked liked them, worshipped with them, and was their neighbor in any number of ways. How many other people walked by without helping? The Lord's focus is on a couple of professional helpers. The Levite, the pedigreed religious man, did not do anything for the victim except ignore him. Who did those "high-falutin" Levites think they were; maybe life-long "LC-MS confessionals" who had all the right doctrine but none of the works borne out of genuine love and faith. The Priest too scuttled past the uncomfortable scene; probably in a legitimate hurry to get to his Liturgical Symposium or Rubric's conference. Harsh words, because we need harsh words. We too, simply do not help all those suffering victims that we come into contact with, the ones that we could help. This is the sin of omission. But on the other hand, if we think we can get into heaven because we do love our neighbor and help him whenever we can, we're damnably wrong. This is hypocrisy; the sin of commission. Saving Faith is knowing Who does the Doing!

The naked, bleeding, half-dead man is not aided by those just like him, by his fellow citizens, neighbors, and family-if-you-will. The mess is taken care of by an "outsider." It is interesting that the Christ is referred to by His enemies as a "Samaritan." To be a Samaritan meant that you were not a pure-blooded orthodox Jew. To be a Samaritan meant that you were outside the Faith, to be treated as a Gentile, barbarian, or heretic; shunned and avoided.

Note how the injured man cooperated in his rescue. That is correct, he didn't. It is all about Who did the acting. This is the point of Jesus' parable. Of course every one that you meet is your neighbor. But if you think that the Lord tells this story so that the "Lawyer" or you, can now be about the business of rescuing everyone from their accidents, disasters, diseases and muggings, (physical and spiritual), well then, "have at it self-righteous; " "do this and you will live," or, "Go and do likewise." But, you can't. And to try to be the "Good Samaritan" rather than being "in" the "Good Samaritan" by faith, is to further distance yourself from the only One that can do.

Jesus sees you and has compassion. He is compassion. He is love. He comes to you as despised, ridiculed and unpopular as any Samaritan ever appeared to the self-righteous Jew. He comes to you because you are self-righteous by nature. Being self-righteous will make you naked, bleeding and dying. He comes with pity and resolve. He will do the acting and the saving. He will pour oil on your wounds in the Sacrament of Baptism. He will pour wine on your hurts in the Sacrament of the Altar. He bandages you in the clean garments of His own Holiness and Purity. You have been saved and brought back to life entirely by Jesus. He acted to obey the commands to love God and neighbor perfectly. He acted in suffering and dying on the Cross to purge away your evil with His precious blood. He has placed you safe and sound in the great Inn of the Church Catholic.

In gratitude and love, borne of faith created and life restored, you do love your God, and you do love and help your neighbor. No, you don't love God perfectly, or even enough. Be in the Word more, yes, to be sure. No, you don't love your neighbor perfectly, or even enough. Give more of your time, wealth, attention and activities, yes, to be sure. But you don't love for your salvation; you love because of your salvation! Remember Who it is Who really does all the doing, all the acting; Whom it was that did all the Rescuing, all the Redeeming! By believing in Him, you do, "do likewise." By believing in Him, "you will live."

In the Name of The Father and of The Son + and of The Holy Ghost